Indiana Renewable Energy Association
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IN THIS ISSUE: AUG 2009
InREA is the new state chapter of ASES
The Time Factory: A Case Study of a Small Commercial Wind Project
EDF Launches Website; Invites InREA Members to Register
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Suggestions for Upcoming Meetings
 
Please send us suggestions for future meeting locations and programs!
 
We also need volunteers to help organize and plan programs and activities. 
 
Plans are currently underway for our annual membership meeting this fall.
 
Send suggestions to [email protected].
 



 
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The Indiana Renewable Energy Association (InREA) is seeking nominations of solar, wind and renewable energy installations to be included in various tours throughout the state of Indiana on Saturday, October 3, 2009.
 
Please send your nominations to [email protected].  
Greetings!

The WIndiana 2009 Conference held July 21 & 22 in Indianapolis was a HUGE SUCCESS with over 600 people in attendence.
 
With so much going on and so many booths and people to visit this year, you might have missed the new video we unveiled in our booth during the conference.
 
No problem. If you missed it, you can view it now on our website. The video was produced by Heidi McHugh with Home and Mobile Energy in Middlebury, Indiana. A BIG THANK YOU to Heidi and Leon Bontrager, President of Home and Mobile Energy and InREA Treasurer.
 
The InREA video is now on our the website.
 
Small Wind Encore Presentation by Eric Cotton 
 
All is not lost if you missed the 2009 WIndiana Conference last week. Plans are underway to schedule an encore presentation on Small Wind by Eric Cotton with ECI Wind and Solar of Fairmount, Indiana. This encore presentation will be presented as a webinar in September. Watch for details.
 
Eric Cotton with ECI Wind and Solar is a founding member of InREA and currently serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors.
 
Join Us for InREA
Feed-in Tariff Webinar
Aug. 18th @ 2 pm EDT 
 
  • Want to know what the buzz is about Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) or advanced renewable energy contracts?
Did you miss the Indiana Renewable Energy Association (InREA) reception and meeting with FIT advocate Paul Gipe last September in Ft. Wayne?
  • Want to know how FIT's compare to other policies such as net metering and a renewable electricity standard (RES) to promote renewable energy development?
  • Did you know there is a feed-in tariff (FIT) proposed by Indianapolis Power and Light (IPL) currently pending before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC)?
  • Want to know more about the state legislation introduced during the 2009 Indiana General Assembly on advanced renewable energy tariffs and the prospects for 2010?
  • InREA members Chris Striebeck with IDS of Indianapolis and Laura Ann Arnold with The Arnold Group of Indianapolis will be joined by Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington). Rep. Pierce introduced proposed state legislation during the 2009 session of the Indiana General Assembly to create advanced renewable energy contracts in Indiana. This webinar will cover an introduction to FIT's as well as a status report on recent FIT proposals in Indiana, the US and abroad. 

    For more information on this topic see House Will Get Another Shot at Feed-In Tariffs. We anticipate scheduling additional webinars on this topic with additional speakers as well as other issues related to renewable energy development in Indiana.

    Don't miss this important event. SIGN-UP TODAY!

    The FIT webinar is scheduled as follows:   

     

    "How Advanced Renewable Energy Contracts aka Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) can bring clean energy jobs and promote more rapid deployment of renewable energy resources and distributed generation (DG) in Indiana."    

     

    Tuesday, August 18, 2009
    2:00 to 3:30 pm EDT 
      

     

    Register for this webinar to receive 1) call-in information and 2) written materials. Advanced registration required. Register via e-mail  at [email protected].  

    The Time Factory:
    A Case Study of a Small Commercial Wind Project  
     
    John Haselden, P.E., with Indianapolis Power and Light Company presented a paper at the recent American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Conference held in Chicago earlier this year. Even if you attended the AWEA Conference, you might have missed this presentation since over 20,000 people attended.  Please find below some select excerpts from the paper he presented.
     
    Purpose:
    In late April, 2008, the first commercial size (50 kW) wind turbine in the Indianapolis area began producing power at the site of a small commercial business. This case study
    is a detailed factual account of the process, costs, financial benefits, actual performance of the project and lessons learned. The completed case study is intended to be a source of guidance for others considering a direct investment in their renewable wind energy future.
     
    Abstract:
    Time Factory Publishing (TFP) is a publisher and distributor of calendars and other products located in a 22,000 square-foot office and warehouse building at 6355 Morenci Trail, Indianapolis, IN 46268. A 50 kW Entegrity EW50 wind turbine was erected atop a 100' steel monopole adjacent to the facility. The project was undertaken without prior collection of on-site meteorological data. The turbine is interconnected to theIndianapolis Power & Light Company's (IPL) distribution system. IPL purchases any excess power under their Rate CGS.
     
    In that this project was the first significant wind turbine in Indianapolis, there was local opposition and obtaining the required zoning variance was a somewhat difficult task.
    However, once approved, the project proceeded quickly. The project investment was approximately $210,000 which was offset by grants from the Indiana Office of Energy
    ($25,000) and IPL ($5,000). In addition, the project qualified for a special tax depreciation of 100% in the first year under the Economic Recovery Act of 2008.
    Although electrical output has not met expectations, for the 1-year period of May, 2008 through April, 2009, the turbine has generated a net 17,595 kWh, offsetting
    approximately $850 of energy purchases and 18 tons of CO2.
     
    Energy production has been affected by the height of the turbine and its surroundings. The wind resource during the past summer and fall has been seasonally poor. However,
    production picked up substantially beginning in December. Monitoring of the electric production and wind resource will continue for a minimum of three years to gain a better
    understanding of project performance.
     

    Note: IPL provided a renewable energy demonstration project grant for this project. As a condition of the grant, The Time Factory agreed to provide the information, data and access to future data for three years for the purpose of writing and updating the case study.
     
    Conclusions and Lessons Learned
    Small wind projects have attributes that are not readily accounted for in financial terms but should be recognized. However, such projects should be located in areas that have at least a moderate wind resource. No reasonable amount of subsidy can make a low production project financially healthy. Even for a project in a moderately good wind resource, other subsidies are needed to make a project financially viable. Such combinations of subsidies do not currently exist (i.e. feed-in tariffs) but may come into play in the future. Net metering arrangements are not currently sufficient.

     
    • Locate the project in a good wind resource
    • Define the financial return required in consideration of the non-quantified benefits
    • Continuation of preferential tax treatments is needed
    • Enhanced pricing of electrical output is needed (i.e. feed-in tariff)
    • Ongoing support from the turbine manufacturer is key to long-term project viability
     
    For details on this project or to receive a copy of the full report, contact John Haselden  

     
     
    Indianapolis Power & Light is a member of InREA.
    EDF Launches Website & Invites InREA Members to Register
     
     
    Members of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association are invited to register at the website www.lesscarbonmorejobs.org.  The site is hosted by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and is a way to gain attention for your company with several audiences.  First, the site can be used with policymakers in Washington, DC and Indianapolis to show that companies in Indiana are already addressing the need of renewable and alternative energy sources.  We are a growing businesses and we are hiring Hoosiers; however, with more appropriate government action, we will grow even more.  In addition, the site is a way to connect with other companies that might assist in providing materials and supplies or for cross-marketing purposes.  The site is user friendly and easy to register your comapany.  Check it out at www.lesscarbonmorejobs.org and show that our industry is ready to grow.
     
    Several InREA members are already listed including (in alphabetical order):
     
    Battery Express
    BPM Service Today
    Green Way Supply
    Inovateus Solar
    Inverde Design, LLC
    Lucid Energy Technologies
    Mann Plumbing
    Morton Energy LLC
    Solar Usage Now LLC
    SunRise Solar Inc.
    SunWind Power Systems
    Water Furnace International Inc.
    White Construction Inc.
     
    For more information about these InREA members, please visit our on-line Business/Professional Membership Directory.
     
     
    As always, thank you for your involvement in InREA and we hope to see you at our next meeting!
     
    Sincerely,
     

    Laura Ann Arnold
    Indiana Renewable Energy Association